List of Otis elevator fixtures (North America)
This is a guide to some notable Otis elevator fixtures found in the United States. 1853-1880s At this time, elevators were operated by pulling ropes. For belt-driven elevators, there are 3 ropes. Pulling the right rope down once makes the elevator go up, and pulling the left rope down once makes the elevator go down, and pulling the middle rope once stops the elevator. 1889 to 1940s Manually-Controlled When manually-controlled elevators were common before in 1920s, most Otis elevators at that time are using old deadman controls, which is usually a car switch used by elevator operators to move the elevator cars. If the crank moved to the left, the elevator car goes down and if the crank moved to the right, the elevator car goes up. Some elevators have a vintage hall call annunciator to announce elevator operator that a hall call outside has been registered on certain floors. Some old Otis freight elevators have continous-pressure controls, which are up/down buttons inside and outside the elevator, which move the elevator in the direction marked when held down. File:VINTAGE Manually-Controlled OTIS Traction Freight Elevator @ 153 W. 108th St. Parking, New York, NY|Old Deadman controls Otis Elevator IMG_1409.JPG|Vintage Otis hall station from manually-controlled elevator. IMG_4454.JPG|Different Vintage Otis hall station from manually-controlled elevator. CrankBrass5.JPG|Vintage Otis brass car switch CallTeller.JPG|Vintage Otis call annunciator panel for operator to receive hall calls. CrankSilver.JPG|Vintage Otis metal car switch. 1900's Otis Black Button Call Station.png|1900's Otis deadman's control hall station 6809414792 96939d38db z.jpg|Vintage Otis car switch (Starks Building, Louisville, KY) Elevator-1.jpg|Vintage Otis car switch for high rise elevators (Smith Tower, Seattle, WA) 5010333971 1824a59b0e z.jpg|Early 1930's Otis car switch OtisControl.jpg|Vintage Otis car switch (Credit to Wikipedia user Drgitlow) Passenger-056 medium.jpeg|Vintage Otis brass car switch Cs31.jpg|Vintage Otis brass car switch 291852870.jpg|Vintage Otis brass car switch Old Otis Manually controlled Traction elevator Robert E Lee Building Lexington VA.jpg|Vintage Otis brass car switch (Robert E. Lee Building, Lexington, VA) 1922-2.png|Early 1920's Otis car switch 1915DumbwaiterBank.png|Mid 1910s Otis dumbwaiter bank control device IMG_1407.JPG|Late 1920's-early 1930's Otis Signal Control manual car station & annunciator panel for operator to know locations of hall calls. Automatic When Otis introduced automatic elevators in 1924, elevators at that time were using old black buttons made of Bakelite. The exterior call button panel has a small round red lamp above the black call button, which indicates that the elevator is in use (IN USE) when the call button is pressed. Also note that most of the vintage hall station and car operating panels have the old Otis "globe" logo, and today, C.J. Anderson Elevator Products Company in fact, makes "Classic Antique" fixtures that bear a close resemblance to the old Otis fixtures. Note that automatic elevators were a choice at the time, and were more costly to buy, and could not be used in large buildings. The car station panel has small round black buttons without illumination. IMG_0013.JPG|1910s Otis hall station 3210849926_d30516f2af_o.jpg|1910s Otis freight elevator/dumbwaiter hall station (Credit to Flickr user nonelvis) IMG_0017.JPG|1910s Otis car station 3210004503_ab8e4613d0_o.png|1910s Otis car station (Credit to Flickr user nonelvis) 1912Residental.png|Early 1910s Otis residental car station 1922.png|Early 1920s Otis car station Old 1920s Otis fixtures.jpg|Old 1920s Otis call button panel (by dieselducy). IMG_5287.JPG|1920s Otis terminal hall station IMG_5285.JPG|1920s Otis terminal hall station lit IMG_5235.JPG|1920s Otis intermediate hall station IMG_5236.JPG|1920s Otis intermediate hall station IMG_5279.JPG|1920s Otis hall station button IMG_5239.JPG|1920s Otis hall station button IMG_5277.JPG|1920s Otis hall station light IMG_5284.JPG|1920s Otis hall station light lit IMG_5326.JPG|1920s Otis hall station logo IMG_5297.JPG|1920s Otis car station IMG_5299.JPG|1920s Otis car station IMG_5228.JPG|1920s Otis car station IMG_5244.JPG|1920s Otis car station buttons IMG_5296.JPG|1920s Otis car station logo IMG_5119.JPG|Different 1920s Otis car station IMG_5120.JPG|Different 1920s Otis car station IMG_5121.JPG|Different 1920s Otis car station IMG_1637.JPG|Late 1920s-early 1930s Otis car station IMG_2860.JPG|1930s C.J. Anderson Series-6 Classic Rectangular car station with Otis buttons IMG_2861.JPG|1930s C.J. Anderson Series-6 Classic Rectangular car station with Otis buttons IMG_2862.JPG|1930s C.J. Anderson Series-6 Classic Rectangular car station with Otis buttons 1930s to 1980s "Pre Lexan" (Large Black Buttons) In this era, most standard elevators are using the old black round buttons with classic white letterings; in the case of Otis, these buttons were first made with bakelite, then later, they were made out of Lexan fiberglassJune 7, 2014: A Tour Of DieselDucy's Museum. These buttons are very simple with no illumination indication. Also, there is no door close button; pressing a floor will quickly close the door and the car starts. There are 3 variants of these buttons. One is a smaller button with smaller numbers (the oldest variant, probably bakelite), one with a bigger button and bigger numbers (probably Lexan), and one with gray buttons (car station only, probably Lexan). There is also a vandal resistant version, with metal buttons. Floor counters were simply metal plates with illuminating numbers, going horizontally. They were also illuminating squares positioned vertically. This line of fixtures was succeeded by the Lexan buttons (see below) sometime in the late 1960s or early 1970s. refer to these fixtures as "Pre-Lexan" since they refer to the black illuminating fixtures as Lexan. However, the term Pre-Lexan is misleading because these buttons are made out of the same material that gives the Lexan fixtures their name (except for the early versions that were made of Bakelite). Lexan Otis updated the black buttons by making them flush buttons with an illuminating halo. There are 2 variants of these buttons: one with flush buttons and a smaller halo (the 1960s and 1970s version), and one with a larger, clearer halo and recessed buttons (the 1980s version). By the mid-1970s, digital floor counters began appearing, and in some elevators, the directional indicator was on the sides of the floor indicator. The Lexan buttons were discontinued in 1989-1990. "Pop-out" buttons These fixtures were used on early Autotronic elevators before touch sensitive buttons were introduced. They appear similar to the black buttons but latched on when pressed and pop out when the car stops. Probably with later examples of these fixtures, there is a large dot that next to the button that lights up when the button is pressed. Touch sensitive buttons From 1948 right up until the 1970s, Otis was also using black buttons with illuminating halos; they were either rounded, square, or triangle shaped. The triangle shaped buttons are for hall stations only. These buttons used vacuum tubes so that the passenger would only lightly touch the button to go to his or her floor, which are actually worked by completing a circuit when your finger comes into contact with the button. This all works through a spring behind the touch plate that runs to the Thyratron tube behind the button, which serves as the switching circuit and the light bulb. The square/triangle touch buttons were mostly used on the later Autotronic elevators. The touch-sensitive buttons were discontinued later on as they were claimed to be a fire hazard.Touch Buttons, ASME A17.1, and the ADA - a discussion board in Skyscrapersim Forum. Also, many elevators with touch sensitive buttons were modernized for the same reason as well as the fixtures not being ADA-compliant. OTIS Lexan call buttons.jpg|Triangular Otis touch sensitive call buttons. OTIS Lexan call buttons square.jpg|Lexan touch sensitive buttons (square) Otis Lexan.jpg|Lexan touch sensitive buttons (round) 00244.jpg|Round Lexan touch sensitive call button. 00248.jpg|Another round Lexan touch sensitive buttons. Roswell, NM VINTAGE 1960s Otis Touch Sensitive Traction Elevators @ 500 N. Main St.|More Otis square touch-sensitive buttons (Roswell, NM) IMG_0351.JPG|Otis Square Touch-Sensitive Up Call Station IMG_0355.JPG|Otis Square Touch Sensitive COP IMG_0381.JPG|Otis Square Touch Sensitive Call Station IMG_0357.JPG|Otis Floor Indicator on a Touch Sensitive Elevator Rotodial indicators Rotodial indicators were first appeared in the 1940s or 1950s. These indicators have rotating disk with floor number printed on it. The disk is enclosed with a round glass and has an arrow on the center of the dial. When the elevator car is moving up, the disk rotates to the right and when the car moves down, the disk rotates to the left. In some newer elevators, the Rotodial indicators are vertical roller type, which means that the number rolls upward when the car goes up and rolls down when the car goes down. Rotodial indicators usually have the typical Otis black call buttons below. OTIS_rotodial.jpg|Otis Rotodial indicator. OTIS Rotodial Indicator.png|Two vintage Otis Rotodial indicators. 270941083_f16c8c771e_o.jpg|Otis vertical rotodial indicators (Credit to Flicjr user kowitz) IEE indicators Also from the 1960s to the 1980s, Otis uses the "IEE indicator" in very few elevators at that time.How the Otis "Vanishing" indicator works - a video from thyssenelevator95 IEE was not the model name, but was a separate company, standing for Industrial Electronic Engineers. This indicator was most likely custom made for Otis, or Otis bought the raw IEE indicators and mounted their faceplate/mounting hardware on it. This indicator is unique because the floor number display disappeared when the car passed between two floors. This type of indicator has a rack of 9 bulbs on each side of the display that sit behind a piece of film with numbers cut in it. A mirror directs the light towards the viewing screen, and you get the number of the floor.Otis Projecting Readout System retrofit brochure (from CEElectronics of England) The IEE indicator is often called "Otis vanishing indicator" by several YouTube elevator enthusiasts. Otis vanishing indicator.jpg|Otis "vanishing" indicator. Otis Vanishing indicator TX.jpg|Otis vanishing indicator at University of Texas Tower, Austin, TX. IMG_4609.JPG|Otis IEE indicator Nixie tube indicator Another indicator Otis made, in the 1970s, was the nixie tube indicator. Only some Otis elevators with the panel on the door sill have this indicator. Super Rare Otis Lexan Hydraulic Elevator at Fine Arts Bldg, University of MO|Otis elevator with nixie tube indicator. Early 1980s to 1990s Otis' U.S. fixtures can be very hard to tell apart. There are 5 different "Series" name fixtures. Series 2 and 4 are nearly identical, and are the hardest to tell apart. Currently, only Series 1 and Series 3 is a worldwide fixtures. Series 1 Series 1 is fairly common, and is normally seen in Otis Elevonic 401 and some hydraulic elevators in the early 1980s up to the mid-2000s. It has a very distinctive look. Older Series 1 buttons are flush with the panel. It has black plastic trim with either a silver or bronze face plate. The indicator is slanted down towards the floor. Some elevators may also have a slanted up panel with some or all of the floor buttons on it. There is also flat Series 1, with a flat panel, and no plastic around the edge of the panel. The indicator is green and is often a digital, but sometimes a segment indicator is used for buildings with four floor or less. Two vertical rows of floor buttons are used on hydraulic elevators, and three vertical rows of floor buttons, and the bottom part of the panel slanted forward are used on traction elevators, and also very rarely on hydraulic elevators. This information does not apply for flat Series 1. In the mid 1990s, Otis Series 1 fixtures were redesigned. The buttons now protrude from the panel, analog indicators were completely dropped, the door open/close buttons were made white from green, and the alarm button was made white from yellow. Otis also called these their "Advanced Fixtures". Otis Series 1 fixtures were discontinued by the mid-2000's, but are still offered for custom installations. Screen Shot 2012-07-31 at 11.44.49 PM.jpg|Typical Otis Series 1 panel. OTIS Series 1 hall buttons.jpg|Series 1 call button panel. OTIS Series 1 button panel.jpg|Series 1 buttons. Capture.JPG|1983 Series 1 floor indicator. OTIS Series 1 indicator.jpg|Series 1 floor indicator. Hqdefault.jpg|Series 1 floor indicator. 5753251616_3a30e2a03e_z.jpg|Otis Series 1 call button with Fire Service keyswitch off. Otis Series 1 ext-indicator.jpg|Series 1 customized hall lantern in a hospital (because the "Emergency Use" hall lantern). Series 1 Elevator Fixtures.PNG|Otis Series 1 floor button. Series 1 indicaor.jpg|Series 1 floor indicator for custom installations. Series 1 fire panel.jpg|Series 1 external fire control panel. Vanity These are white round buttons that light up when pressed. These fixtures were made from the late 1980s-early 1990s and are quite rare. The actual name of these fixtures is unknown, but are often called Otis Vanity fixtures and may be a very late version of Otis Lexan, as the phone boxes used and control cabinets used for the COPs are the same as ones used on Lexan COPs. IMG_0654.JPG|Otis Vanity COP aads.JPG|Otis Vanity Lantern (Up) IMG_0643.JPG|Otis Vanity Lantern (Down) IMG_0642.JPG|Otis Vanity Call Station Series 2 Series 2 has a completely different look then Series 1. Introduced in the late 1990s, Series 2 comes with round metallic buttons with either a flush or projecting design. Vandal resistant buttons have a small circle in the middle instead of a ring. Otis also calls/called these fixtures the "Classic Fixtures" Untitled.jpg|Series 2 floor buttons. Series 3 The Series 3 fixtures (often called "Otis Luxury" fixtures by several elevator enthusiasts) are normally found in the Elevonic 411, 411M and Double Deck elevators in the mid-1990s. Some elevator filmers mistakenly call these fixtures "Otis European Fixtures" - as they are found on North American installations also. It consists of round concave buttons with green or red illumination halo, green (for up) and red (for down) hall lanterns and digital segmented floor indicators. Otis also make a vandal resistant version of the Series 3 fixture, the buttons are made from machined aluminum (rather than chromed plastic) and the halo is replaced with a green or red LED at the centre of the button. Some elevators with Series 3 fixtures use Electro Luminescent Display (ELD) indicators. They also have chimes which sounds once (for up) and twice (for down) and a female voiceover sound. Nowadays, this fixtures set has been modified as part of the current Series 4 fixtures in North America. OTIS Series 1 buttons.jpg|Series 3 buttons OTIS Series 4 indicator.jpg|Series 3 digital floor indicator. OTIS Series 4 ELD.jpg|Series 3 electro luminescent display (ELD) indicator. OTIS Series 4 ELD 201 Elizabeth St Sydney.jpg OTIS Series 4 fixtures 201 Elizabeth St Sydney.jpg|Series 3 buttons (red) OTIS Series 4 Indicator.png|Digital-segmented LED floor indicator. IMG_0130.JPG|Otis Series 3 Call Station: W Hotel, Seattle WA IMG_0131.JPG|Otis Series 3 Lantern (Down): W Hotel, Seattle WA dadasd.JPG|Otis Series 3 Lantern (Up): W Hotel, Seattle WA Series 4 Series 4 will look exactly the same as Series 5, and like Series 5, lights up red. To distinguish Series 4 from 5, typically Series 4 has the older chime that it shares with Series 1 & 2, and has a rectangular indicator. Otis also calls/called these fixtures the "Luxury Fixtures" as the Series 3 fixtures set has been modified as part of the current Series 4 fixtures in North America. Otis Series 4 and 5 buttons.jpg|Series 4 buttons. Screen Shot 2012-08-01 at 12.15.21 PM.jpg|Series 4 Green floor indicator. dsadasdasd.JPG|Otis Series 4 COP: W Hotel, Seattle WA IMG_0137.JPG|Otis Series 4 Floor Indicator (With Inside, Unlit Features): W Hotel, Seattle WA 2000s to present Series 5 Series 5 uses the same fixtures as Series 4, but Series 4 and 5 light up red. Series 5 usually uses the parentheses indicator. It uses Otis' new chime, which for the down signal uses 2 different sounding tones. Series 5 fixtures are more commonly found in hydraulic elevators more than traction elevators. Otis also calls/called these fixtures the "Standard Fixtures" Otis Series 2 and 5 Indicator US.jpg|Series 5 floor indicator. OTIS Series 5 indicator.JPG|Another OTIS Series 5 floor indicator. 148_0282.JPG|Series 5 call button panel. 148_0285.JPG|Series 5 lanterns. 148_0287.JPG|Series 5 button. 148_0312.JPG|Series 5 hall floor indicator. elevator-buttons-series5.jpg|Otis Series 5 floor buttons. Newer Otis Series 5 with bar emergency light.png|Newer Otis Series 5 found on an Otis Gen 2 MRL Traction Elevator, New Series 5's have thin bar-style emergency light similar to Otis Series 7 (see below) OTIS Series 5 buttons.jpg|Another Otis Series 5 buttons (credit: Maalit72). Oak Brook, IL Otis Hydraulic Elevator in McDonald's|Oak Brook, IL: Otis Series 5 Hydraulic Elevator in McDonald's. Series 6 For unknown reasons, Otis series 6 is a very rare fixture line. The series 6 panel has a similar layout to the Otis series 1 panel. It looks like Series 4 and 5 but everything is one piece. mqdefault (3)2.jpg|Otis Series 6 floor indicator. download (4).jpg|Otis Series 6 panel Series 7 Series 7 is not really common as it is fairly new but not as rare as Series 6. Earlier versions of Series 7 (still available today) have buttons that light up red and a red Acme indicator with a "green-for-up" and "red-for-down" lantern. The newer, more common version has blue buttons with a LCD indicator (similar as current 2000 fixtures in Europe) and a blue lantern Otis series 7 also has an phone button with an orange halo and orange braille. Mods are often simple and plain. download (5).jpg|Otis series 7 lcd position indicator which is the same kind of indicator that can be used as a floor indicator in the elevator. maxresdefault.jpg|Otis series 7 blue acme indicator. orange phone button.PNG|Otis series 7 orange phone button. 007.JPG|Otis new fixtures 005.JPG|Otis new in-car lantern 006.JPG|Otis new floor indicator 004.JPG|Otis new call button Rosemont, IL Otis Traction Elevators in Fashion Outlets of Chicago Parking Garage-0|Rosemont, IL: Otis Traction Elevators with new fixtures in Fashion Outlets of Chicago Parking Garage. Compass Otis' destination dispatch system, named Compass, replaces the conventional call buttons in the elevator lobby on each floor with a wall-mounted keypad panel. It also replaces the floor buttons inside the cab, as the floor number is entered outside the cab.Except for Hybrid Configuration, where floor buttons inside are functional. For the wall-mounted keypad panel, it has the telephone-style keypad buttons and LCD screen above the buttons. An LCD touch screen is also available. The fixtures used inside the car are round stainless steel projecting buttons for the door control and alarm buttonsButtons used with Series 2, 4 & 5., and LCD screen for floor indicators. The floor destination display indicators are installed on both side of the inner door frames, and are digital-segmented or LCD screen. OTIS Compass car M display.jpg|Keypad type. OTIS Compass car S display.jpg|Car display. OTIS Compass destination display on door jamb.jpg|Floor destination display indicators installed on door frame. OTIS Compass fixtures button.jpg|Projecting buttons used as the door control and emergency buttons. IMG_0046.JPG|Otis Compass luxury hall station IMG_0047.JPG|Otis Compass exterior indicator showing what floors the elevator will stop at. Trivia *The "Series" name is given by Unitec Parts, which is a parts company that deals with Official Genuine Otis Elevator and Escalator Parts. *The Series 5 lantern is a knock-off of the Schindler HT lantern and also the digital Series 5 lantern is a knock-off of the Kone KSS 700 lantern. Note See also *Otis Elevator Fixtures Guide (worldwide) External links *Otis fixtures collection from Unitec Parts *Beno's Lift Guide - Otis Elevator Company Category:Elevator fixtures guide